Don't Say Goodbye
by flawless-lips
Summary: They were best friends as kids until he had to move. Bella Swan then re-meets Edward Cullen to find he is different. She remembers the green eyed boy that would hold her hand, not this golden eyed Adonis with a bad reputation and an even worse attitude.
1. Prologue

Full Summary: Edward and Bella were best friends as infants, but that was before Edward had to move away to another town. When Bella is sent to Forks to stay with her dad after her parents split, they meet again, but Edward is changed. Bella is used to the sweet boy with emerald eyes who would hold her hand. Not the bad boy, who sleeps with every girl he wants, has a severe criminal record and has the most gorgeous topaz eyes. Can Bella find that lost little boy somewhere inside this hard exterior?

**Prologue**

_Bella's Point of View_

_I was walking down a familiar path; apples trees on either side of me as I travelled the grassy trail. A summer breeze ruffled my hair slightly as the glow of the sun warmed my skin. The downhill slant and soft footing helped me keep my balance until the bottom of the hill, where I stumbled on a fallen fruit and fell to my knees, scraping and bruising them. _

_Tears began to sting my eyes when I heard children laughing. It was a sweet tinkling that resounded through the surrounding trees. I picked myself up and followed the noise, brushing off my previous pain. I found my destination; a soft meadow with beautiful flowers and streams of sunlight coming through the high canopy. In the middle were placed two infant children._

"_Mommy and daddy are fighting again," sighed the little girl, lying down beside the boy. She had long brown hair, large sparkling eyes and plump lips. Her soft curls fell around her head on the ground, her cheeks tinged pink- most likely from running._

"_Were they yelling at each other?" inquired the boy. He had straight, dark red hair and gorgeous green orbs as eyes. He looked across at the girl with a worried expression written across his face as they lay on their backs. She nodded mutely and turned over to half-lie on the boy's chest._

"_I love you Edward. Don't ever leave me, okay?" My heart stopped at the realisation that I knew the little girl- she was me. I remember that day so clearly now._

_My parents had been fighting for the past few months, but that day was especially bad. Edward had been my best friend. I was seven at the time and he was ten. His parents, Thomas and Jacqueline Mason had troubles of their own. Every time either of our families were fighting, we would run off together to Mr Brown's apple farm to talk and play until we felt safe enough to go back home again. He was my life line; he was what kept me from breaking down when my parents fought._

"_I love you too, my Bella. I won't leave you. I promise." The little boy kissed the top of her head before they both started to doze off into a light and peaceful sleep. _

_That was when everything started to fade. The two children disappeared in front of my eyes before they returned, in a different situation. _

_I remember that it was a week later that my life line slipped away._

"_You promised me, Edward. You said you would never leave me!" The little girl was yelling, turning red from her anger.  
_

"_I know. My mum and dad won't give me choice. They say that when we move, everything will be different. They said that with a new beginning and a new town, they could restart their relationship. I don't believe them, but they won't let me stay. I came to get you as soon as I found out." The little Edward stepped forward to try and take the girl's hand but she was stubborn and stepped away. He sighed heavily and slumped his shoulders. "Goodb-" _

_The little girl stepped forward with a new courage and sadness on her face to cover his mouth with her hand. "Don't say goodbye. Never say goodbye to me because I will see you again soon. Okay?" she asked for reassurance. He nodded beneath her fingers before taking them away. He looked down at her for a second before leaning forward to chastely kiss her lips._

"_I will see you again. I will." _

"_Did you believe me?" Said a deep voice from behind me. I turned around to face a man, looking to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. _

_His hair was brown with a faint reddish tint. He was very muscular but slender at the same time. He looked at least a foot taller than me with broad shoulders. His hair hung limply around his face, shaggy and messed. His lips were perfectly shaped and thick with a strong jaw line but what really caught my attention were his eyes. They were a bright golden-ochre, surrounded by dark lashes. They called me forward until I was inches from his body. His smell was heavenly and lightly musky and sweet at the same time… so familiar. Then it clicked._

"_Edward?" He looked down on me and gave me a small smile but when I reached for him, he stepped away._

"_Don't Bella, I'm dangerous." His smile vanished in a second. _

"_What do you mean? What happened to you? Why are you so different?"_

"_Stay away from me. Don't come to Forks. Stay away." He began retreating into the edges of the meadow where there was no light. _

"_Please don't go!" I yelled. "Please?" I asked in a soft whisper._

_Author's Note: __I'm planning on taking this story more seriously than my other one which is still in progress. Review and tell me what you think. I really want to know! _

_Lauren xx_


	2. Beautiful and Deadly

_Author's Note: __Thanks to those of you who have reviewed already. Read note at the bottom. _

**Beautiful and Deadly**

I woke up gasping, tears streaming heavily down my face as I recalled the day that Edward left me. I had cried myself to sleep for weeks when he was gone- lose your lifeline and you're dead. I became depressed, so my parents decided to move to Jacksonville in hope that I could forget him and all my memories in Phoenix.

Once again, I am being forced to move. My parents divorced two years ago so Charlie, my dad, moved to Forks in Washington. Then recently, Renee remarried to a guy named Phil. He was nice enough and made her happy, so I had no complaints. That was why I was moving again now, to make her happy. I didn't want to go. I had made a home here but Phil had a travelling job as a minor-league base ball player and Renee was miserable when not with him.

I wiped my face of any tears with the back of my hand and decided to get up. Today was the day I moved to the coldest place in the continental U.S. It was only 4 o'clock in the morning but I knew I could never get back to sleep now. This was not the first time I experienced a dream like that. Every year, on the same day- February 12th- I would have that dream. It was the day he left me. But what happened at the end I was not expecting. That had never happened before. It was unnerving to think about.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

"Hey Cha-… Dad." I knew he didn't like it when I called him Charlie but it had become a habit of mine.

"Hey Bells, how you feeling?" He wasn't really a person for conversation but he was trying. I gave him a slight smile, wanting to be polite.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired from the flight." I put my bag over my shoulder and Charlie took my suitcase. I didn't have much to carry because I wasn't from a very wealthy family. I was fine with not having much, but people often judge me by it.

"Well, that's fine. Let's get you home and into bed. This way." I followed slowly behind him as he led the way to the cruiser. I inwardly groaned when I saw it. I didn't like the attention that came with the police car and traffic was slower because people had to stick to the speed limit.

He seemed to notice me cringe. "Don't worry Bells, I have everything sorted." We were inside the cab now, so I put my hands to the heater in a vain attempt to quickly warm up.

"What do you mean, sorted?" I didn't like the sound of that.

"Well, I knew you would need a car for school and things, and I also know how much you dislike my cruiser. So, I bought you a car. Well actually, it's more of a truck. An old Chevy but I think you might like it." I saw him glance sideways at me, checking my expression.

"That's real sweet of you. You didn't have to."

I saw him shuffle uncomfortably in his seat, not one for emotions either. "Yeah, well think of it as a welcoming present, eh?" I nodded my answer before things fell quiet. It wasn't awkward or even shy. It helped me think and somewhat clear my head of last night's dream.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

I sighed dramatically when I turned into the Forks High School parking lot. It was big enough for me to get lost in it, but small enough for everyone to know that there was a new girl. My truck made a loud entrance and I was actually glad I was running late today; there was no one to stare at me and provide unwanted attention.

When Charlie and I arrived home yesterday, I was greeted by the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. The old Chevy was a fainted red and practical with big rims and a bumper on the front. It wasn't exactly pretty but it was perfect in my eyes- I could actually drive it and not get killed. I was so happy with it I hugged Charlie. It was awkwardly returned with a one armed pat on the back.

Thanks to my lack of sleep from the previous night, I woke up late this morning. I had to rush my breakfast and a quick shower, so my hair was still damp. I quickly tucked it up into a loose bun with bits hanging out everywhere and around my face. I looked down to check I looked presentable and decided it would have to do. I was wearing black track pants, white low-cut converses and a white hooded jacket.

I stepped out into the cold, looking up at the grey and depressing sky. _What a great way to start. Welcome to your new life, Bella Swan. _

Swinging my backpack over my shoulder, I slumped my way through the front grounds. The grass was wet and slippery under my feet. I attempted stepping slowly, but being me, half way across I stumbled.

I heard laughing to my right. It was velvety and mocking. I had the sudden urge to turn and see who it was but was not in the mood to be teased.

"What do we have here? Is this the new girl I have been hearing so much about, running late? _Tut tut tut." _That voice, I knew it. I could recognise it anywhere, but… no.

I huffed and flicked the hair hanging in my face over my shoulder to look at the person. I saw their right foot propped up against the closest brick wall casually, in deliciously hugging dark wash jeans. Just looking at this made me blink hard twice. Then I dared to look up further. His chest was accentuated by a tight white shirt that was wet and clinging to his muscles in a way that made me swoon. _Oh dear lord. _I don't know how I did it, but I looked to his face. His face was devilishly heaven-like. His jaw was strong; outlining the most kissable lips on this earth- they were thick and dark. His nose was straight and angled, like his ears. His dark bronze hair hung limply with bits sticking to his face and slightly hanging in his eyes. _His eyes. _They were black and deadly with a horrifying depth to them that I got lost in. There was a faint gold rim around his pupils but it was barely recognisable. He was devastatingly beautiful and… he was Edward.

I looked to the ground as if to clear my head. I must look like a total lunatic. I took out my hair to cover my face and straightened my jacket, standing up and taking my bag. I took a deep breath then turned to face him again. My long locks swirled around me as I did so and I couldn't deny it. The man in front of me, leaning against a brick wall, was Edward Anthony Mason. He was the one that had left me, he had been the one that appeared in my dream the other night warning me not to come to Forks and he was the one that looked like he could kill me at that very moment.

The tendons in his arms were protruding his skin, his hands clenched into tight fists. His jaw was locked and the veins in his neck straining. Suddenly he turned and all but ran into a nearby silver Volvo, closing the door with a bang and stepping on the accelerator so hard the tires screeched against the gravel. I was left stunned and frozen in place until I heard a voice behind me.

"Are you Isabella Swan?" I spun around to see a bright- red haired woman with black rimmed glasses on the steps to the school.

"Um, yes. Sorry." I walked to her with my head to the ground.

"Let's get you to class. Now in the future, I will expect you on time. Understood?" I nodded dumbly, too caught up in Edward. "Alright then, here is your timetable. This is your first class, Trigonometry. Good luck."

I was shoved into the classroom when everyone turned to stare at me. Oh great, here comes the blush. I squeaked a quick hello to the teacher before I was placed next to a spiky black haired girl with high cheek bones. She was absolutely stunning and also appeared to be bouncing in her seat. "Hello, I'm Alice Cullen. What did you do to my brother?"

_**Author's Note: **__Hi. Just so everyone knows, yes, the epilogue was a dream and Edward is scary and yummy and makes me faint just thinking about him. My name is Lauren and I am terrible at updating. Honestly, I don't mind, when I don't update in an acceptable time, feel free to send me a private message chucking a tantrum and yelling at me. I am really excited about this story and would love LOTS of reviews. I love them so much. I am writing two stories at the moment so feel free to check out my other one which I am planning on updating sometime in the next month. : P . I have everything planned out in my head for this and can't wait to get all this boring stuff out of the way. REVIEW!!! Love you all just for reading. Lauren xx_


	3. Gone

**Gone**

I could hear the mindless chatter of the people sitting around me. I think one of them was named Jessica, who was talking to some blonde haired guy. He wouldn't stop looking at me and it was really starting to make me uncomfortable. Then a new conversation came up that soon had the whole table involved. I wasn't all that interested until the name Edward came up.

"Are you talking about Edward Mason?" Everyone turned to look at me like I had three heads.

"Oh no, Bella," Jessica started to explain so I didn't embarrass myself further. She placed her hand on top of mine which was placed on the table. "Edward _Cullen_. I don't know who Mason is."

"Who is Edward Cullen?" I heard a few girls gasp around the table and one or two guys scoff at me, like I was just playing dumb.

"Edward Cullen is only the hottest guy in school. He is _the elite_." She pronounced this very clearly, as if I had to read her lips to get the point. "He has a bad reputation and only every single girl wants him. I can't believe you haven't heard of him."

"What does he look like?"

"Well, he has brown hair. He's tall and absolutely gorgeous." Every girl there giggled. "He has a killer body and, yeah." He sounded pretty average to me, although the description was vague. How can they think this Edward was hot and not even _know _who Edward Mason is, when they went to the same school?

"What grade is he in?"

"Oh, he's a junior like us. You'll see him soon no doubt. It's kind of hard not to notice him. I'm actually shocked he's not here yet. I could have sworn I saw him at school this morning."

"So he hangs out with you guys?"

"I wish!" Jessica yelled out before thinking, then looked down with a blush- at least it wasn't me for a change. She cleared her throat. "No, he hangs out over there." She pointed over to the back corner of the room. "They're sort of his 'gang'. There are his friends James, Laurent, Victoria, Heath and Aiden but his family also sits with them."

"Really? That's sort of sweet that he hangs out with his family."

"You think that's sweet? Get this, they all go out together- Jasper and Alice then Emmett and Rosalie. It is just creepy."

"You make it sound like they're related Jess." A tall, thin girl spoke up. She had classic glasses on and her straight black hair tucked behind one ear. She turned to me to explain things better. "They aren't blood siblings. They're all adopted. Well, Rosalie and Jasper are brother and sister but they aren't going out together. Dr. Cullen adopted them all when they were little." That seemed to make a little more sense than the picture in my head.

"Actually, I heard that you talked to Alice this morning. Is that true?" Jessica inquired.

"Yeah, what does that have to do with Edward?"

"It's his sister silly!" But, I thought that was Edward Mason's sister… oh, he would have changed his name when he was adopted. "You are so lucky! No one from their group ever talks to anyone, unless it was to tell you to fuck off." That surprised me. Alice had seemed quite nice to me.

_Flashback_

"_Hello, I'm Alice Cullen. What did you do to my brother?"_

"_Excuse me? Uh, who?" I had never seen someone look so bouncy with a serious look on their face._

"_Edward, my brother? The one that just rudely drove off in his car?" I blushed looking down at the shiny surface of the tabletop. How did she know that?_

"_He's your brother?"_

"_Mmhmm, so what did you do?"_

"_Um," I felt kind of intimidated by her. Just the energy and beauty radiating off her was enough to make me feel incompetent. "Well, I don't really know. I didn't even say anything to him. Is he normally like that?"_

"_Not exactly." She appeared to consider this for a moment. "Usually he would just ignore you altogether."_

"_Oh, alright." We were then called to attention by the teacher. _

_End Flashback_

"Alice seemed fine to me. A little scary but nice enough. I can't quite imagine her telling someone to shove off." Jessica laughed slightly when I used 'shove off' instead of 'fuck off'. It's not like I never swore, but it wasn't like I went around using it all the time either.

"I suppose. She's the sweeter one in the group. Well, as sweet as you're going to get. Rosalie is the bitch so try and stay out of her way as much as possible. Victoria won't be a problem as long as you leave her alone… so seriously, leave her alone." Jessica got a scared look in her eyes and I started to worry.

"Who exactly are these people?" She looked to her left and right as if checking no one could hear her, then started whispering to me.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure is it's true, but apparently James, Victoria, Edward and Laurent and all part of the Volturi." _Volturi, what's that? _

"Who's the Volturi?"

"The Volturi are the Port Angeles drug gang. You do not mess around with them. For as long as anyone can remember they have run that town as their own. The police are basically ordered around by them and anybody living there has to pay a fee so that their place won't get burnt down and their kids won't be forced to join." _And Edward was part of this? I don't believe it. This is not my Edward. It can't be the same person. _

"That's some scary stuff."

"Just please, for my sake and yours, avoid them at all costs." The grave look written all across Jessica's face along with the whole table gave me the incentive to just nod. It was hard to imagine my sweet Edward the way everyone described him. I remember the first day I met him.

_Flashback_

"_Mummy, this is boring. I don't wanna go to the park anymore!" My small hands tugged on my mother's pants as I whined._

"_Bella, you wanted to come. At least spend a little time playing before we go back home again." I huffed and crossed my arms as I stormed off behind a tree, stamping my feet the entire way. I was just sitting there steaming when I heard a tiny laugh from above me. As I looked up, I was met with shiny, green eyes. They were so pretty! _

"_Are you okay?" Asked the pretty-eyed boy. He was peering down at me with an amused look._

"_I'm fine. Leave me alone." I didn't like it when people laughed at me. He did again anyway._

"_Don't you want to play?" I looked up at him again, only this time noticing how high up he was- it would be a long way down._

"_You-you mean up there?" _

"_Sure. It's fun. Would you like some help getting up here?"_

"_No! I can do it myself." I was determined for him not to laugh again. I stood up and turned to the towering tree. I tried putting my foot against the bark, to get some grip, but that didn't work. So I tried grabbing for a branch but it was way above my reach. I did a complete circuit around the tree before finally deciding that it was pointless. I looked to the boy and a tear or two formed in my eyes in disappointment._

_Before the tears even had a chance to fall, he had jumped down from the tree effortlessly and given me a quick hug. "Come on. You won't be able to climb if you can't see what you're doing. So, no tears. Okay?" I nodded once to show him I understood before he gave me a small push towards the tree. _

"_First, put your foot here." He pointed to a small but defined hole in the tree. I put my right foot in it easily. "Now when I push you up, grab onto the branch," he ordered before lifting me up around the waist so I could grab it. This was actually quite fun. "Good. You're doing great. Now put your other foot into this hole." I did what I was told and took the compliments as they came, blushing the entire time. After a few more directions, I was half way up the tree and soon enough, I was sitting on a high branch looking down at the boy. He was clapping happily with a wide smile on his face. Then in less than 10 seconds he did what took me 5 minutes and sat right next to me._

"_What's your name?" I asked him._

"_I'm Edward."_

"_Isn't that an old people's name?" I think I've heard that name in one of my bedtime fairytales. Edward was a king or something. _

"_I don't know… but I'm not old. I'm only 8 years old."_

"_You're older than me. I'm only 5."_

"_And what's your name?"_

"_I'm Bella. Well Isabella, but that sounds old too. So call me Bella." I grinned widely at him and he smiled back._

"_Well it's nice to meet you Bella." _

"_Bella? Bella? Where are you? It's time to go!" My mother called after me but I didn't respond. I didn't want to go now. "Isabella Swan, this is not funny." I giggled lightly and Edward chuckled. _

"_Do you want to play a game?" I nodded quickly, and he helped me turn so I had a leg on either side of the tree and so did he. "Now you have to be quiet or else your mom will hear and the point of this game is that you don't talk, just copy. Now, whatever I do, you do too." I nodded again. _

_He began by raising his right hand and waving- I copied him with my left. Then he pounded his hands on his chest like a gorilla and I copied. We both had to try very hard not to laugh at that. Then he put his right hand on his hip, lifting his left and waving his finger in front of his face in a 'oh no, you didn't' type gesture. I was shaking so hard he had to hold me so I didn't fall. Then he put his right hand in front of him, palm towards me and left it there. I put my left hand to his and I felt a tingly, funny feeling in my fingertips. My hand looked so perfect on his. He moved his hand in a circular motion and I moved mine with him. Soon enough, we didn't even need to concentrate to do this, and our eyes met. His eyes were so beautiful- a diamond green with a lighter green going through them, almost like lightning- I couldn't look away. _

_I was so stuck on looking at Edward that I didn't notice my mother standing at the bottom of the tree. "Bella Swan get down here right now!" She shouted. I got such a shock that I fell out of the tree, but not before grabbing onto Edward as a last chance for balance- too bad I caused him to fall off with me. On the way down, he managed to place my body on top of his so I landed on his chest. As we hit the ground, I knocked the wind out of him and immediately put my hands to my mouth in shock. _

"_Edward!" I screeched, "Are you okay?" He winced as he rubbed the back of his head but nodded anyway. I let out a breath and hugged him. I held him to me, so grateful. "My very own superhero." `_

"_Edward Mason, have you been climbing trees again?! Did I not tell you that one day you will fall out?!" I turned to see a tall woman with red-blonde hair and a pretty face. Before Edward even acknowledged her, he stood me up and brushed me off, making sure I was okay before turning to his mother._

_He gave her a cheeky smirk before saying, "maybe…" he trailed off and gave his mother an innocent look. She looked at him with straight lined lips then I saw her crack a small smile before laughing. _

"_What am I going to do with you?" Edward ran to his mother and hugged her around her waist as she kissed his head and hugged him back. He then turned to face me and waved me over. I grabbed my mum's hand and brought her over with me._

"_Mummy, this is Bella," he introduced me and I looked down shyly while waving at her without seeing her face. _

"_Hello Bella," she walked to me and bent down to my level. I could see Edward peeking out from behind her and smiling. "I'm Jacqueline. How do you do?" _

"_I'm fine thank you. You?" _

"_Hmm, I feel like ice cream." I gasped and clapped wildly. "If It's okay with your mother, maybe you can come too?" _

"_Oh mummy, please?" _

"_Alright, alright… as long as I can come as well." _

_End Flashback_

That was back when things were great in both our lives… before our parents started fighting. Ever since that day, we had been best friends. We were always together and things were made even worse by the fact he lived on my street. Jacqueline and Renee were always worried about us but soon learned not to. They even became quite good friends themselves.

I didn't talk for the rest of lunch, lost in my own thoughts.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*. *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Tuesday

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*. *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Wednesday

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*. *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Thursday

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*. *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Friday

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*. *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Saturday

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*. *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Sunday

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*. *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A whole week had passed and I had not seen another glimpse of Edward.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*. *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Two weeks.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*. *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A total of three weeks had passed. I started to believe that the entire day had been an illusion of my mind until on the Monday morning of my fourth week at school, I caught a glimpse of bronze hair fleeting into the building before disappearing again. _Forks is doing things to my mind, _I thought.

At lunch that day the conversation remained the same as always… dull. Jessica talked about how good she was. Mike either ogled at her chest or attempted to look at mine. Eric and Tyler talked about computer games and Angela was sweet the entire time, flirting with Tyler here and there.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you." My head whipped to see Jessica giving me a jealous glare before composing her face into something nicer. Then I turned my head in the direction of the table in the corner. Just as she had said, there sat Edward. The one that had haunted my dreams every night for the past three weeks. The one that had haunted my dreams since I was seven years old. The one that gave the saying 'if looks could kill' a whole new meaning. His stare was horrifying, as if he was hoping that alone would make my heart stop beating. Well, the stare may not… but that body of his may be another thing.

I entered biology after lunch in a jumpy state- people giving me hate filled stares wasn't really my thing. So when the chair next to me screeched, it took a lot of effort not to scream. When I turned to see the person, I got the biggest shock I could've asked for- Edward Cullen truly was gorgeous.

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. He was facing the board as I inspected him. He was the exact figure from my dream, right down to the golden-ochre eyes.

"You were gone." I stated. The confidence that came with reassurance it was him was amazing.

"Do I know you?" He turned to me with a bored and uninterested look written all over his face.

"You were gone."

"Yeah, you said that already. I was gone for what, three weeks? What's the deal?"

"Three weeks? Try ten years, Edward Mason." He didn't move as I said this. Not even a different facial expression. Then the teacher walked in.

It was quite awkward after the confidence boost wore off. It was like a hole was being burnt in my head from his intensity. I was shocked the teacher didn't order him to pay attention, but I guess Jessica was right on one thing- you don't mess with their group… they rule this town.

When the bell rang signalling the end of class, I expected him to run off but instead he leaned in next to my ear and whispered, "Mind your own business. Play with fire and you get burned, Isabella Marie Swan."

_Author's Note: __Don't play with fire Bella, but that is going to be hard when Edward is so hot! Review!!! I love them so much! Like seriously, I will love you forever if you review. :D Let me know what you think. _

_Lauren xx_


	4. Remember Me

_Author's Note:__ I love every single person that reviewed. 3 Read note at bottom._

**Remember Me**

Every time I thought of Edward whispering in my ear, I shivered. It was like electric chills being sent down my spine. Luckily I only had biology with him. That way, I only had to deal with him then and at lunch time… or so I thought.

As I exited gym- my worst subject- I made my way towards the bus that would take me home. I had recently been forced to take the bus as the truck Charlie had bought for me broke down and this time it didn't start up again. He said he'll fix it, but that could be a year from now. As I walked up the steps of the bus like I had been for the past week or so, I sensed something different. People weren't talking as loud and there was a tension in the air. I didn't know what had caused it until I looked towards the back of the bus- on the last row sat Edward. He was in the corner, leaning his back against the window with his left leg propped up on the seat, his IPod headphones in his ears and a serious look plastered on his face as he gazed at nothing. There was a four metre radius all around him as people tried to avoid pissing him off.

Anger boiled in me as I took in his appearance. He thought he was so good, pretending not to know who I was, then trying to scare me off in biology. He knew me. I know he did. He remembered me… right?

Just the way he reacted to me… it was so unlike the Edward I knew… but familiar in a scary way- like the Edward from my dreams.

I made my way to where he was and stopped before the last seat. His head snapped to see me and he glared.

"What do you want now?" He asked.

"I know you remember me."

"Remember you from when?"

"Oh, cut the crap. I'm not an idiot." The anger inside me from biology grew and grew. "Do you have memory loss or something?" _It might explain a few things. _

"No." That was his insightful reply.

"What happened to you? Why have you changed so damn much?"

"Um… you seem to have this idea in your head that I know who you are. You either need to seek therapy or an eye doctor because, I kind of don't."

I felt the bus start with a rumble. I didn't want to give up and I certainly didn't want to sit next to Edward, so I sat down on the floor where I was, stubbornly, and glared up at him. I finally received a proper emotion out of him as annoyance flashed across his face and his jaw set.

"Why won't you leave me alone?" His eyes scanned my face as I stayed silent on the floor, just in spite of him. "Answer me, Swan!" The entire bus fell eerily silent. I felt all stares at the back of my head. _School tomorrow is going to be hell. _

"You knew my name." It was a long shot but I was going to try my best at receiving some information from him, but first I needed him to acknowledge that he knew me. That was going to be tough.

"Like anybody at this godforsaken school doesn't."

"You knew my middle name. How did you know my middle name?"

"Back off Swan." His low, monotone voice sounded threatening but I wasn't willing to let it go.

"I know you. I know your birth mother's name is Jacqueline, I know your birthday is 24th September, I know you left me in Phoenix when I was seven and you were ten years old- that should make you 19 right now turning 20- and most of all I know your eyes should be green but they're gold!"

Edward shocked me when he got up and took my bag from in front of me, then roughly grabbed my wrist. The pressure from his fingers hurt badly and I felt a sharp pain sear up my arm. I gasped audibly before he dropped me into a seat in the middle of the bus.

"Stay out of my way or so help me, I will make your life a living hell." I held my wrist to my chest as I stared at him dumbfounded. _This is not my Edward. _The pure realisation of this made tears once again streak across my face as he retreated to his back corner of the bus and listened to his music as if he didn't just possibly break my wrist. It seems that I've been crying quite a lot lately.

I remained where I was for the entire bus ride home. I refused to pay attention to those around me as I knew gossip would be stirring. I didn't know who was still on the bus when I stood to get up, but I did know the _he _was still there. I could feel it in the way my fingertips tingled and I felt drawn to the back. I completely ignored this urge and murmured my thanks to the bus driver as I moved as quickly as possible while clutching my wrist to my chest and not tripping. I walked down my street and dropped my bag on the floor so I could unlock the door one handed.

_I just can't wait to see how Charlie reacts to my first injury in Forks._

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*. *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

"Dad, calm down. I'm sure everything is fine."

"No, Bella. This weekend you are going shopping and getting as many extra-grip shoes as you can find." I told Charlie that I hurt my wrist when I slipped and grabbed onto a nearby table wrong, twisting it. He believed me surprisingly enough but started freaking out immediately. Now, sitting in the waiting room of the hospital, I realised that it would have been easier to just pretend nothing was wrong in the first place.

I detested hospitals due to the amount of time I had spent in them. They were too white and clean, cold and hard. I felt trapped and small every time I entered one.

I was still trying to convince Charlie that new shoes weren't necessary when a handsome, blonde man entered the room. "Isabella Swan?" I stood up silently and nodded to let him know it was me and I motioned for Charlie to stay. "Right this way."

I followed him into a room while observing him slightly. He looked about 24 years old with pale skin and lean body. He reminded me of Edward but not as young or good looking… but still extremely beautiful- it felt strange calling a man beautiful but from what I've seen of his children, they all were. He held himself strongly and had a presence of calmness but authority all at once. As I sat down on the uncomfortable bed he turned to me after shutting the door.

"So tell me Isabella, what happened?" He spoke articulately and pronounced his words perfectly with a smooth voice.

"Bella," I stated. Even through his doctoral exterior, he gave off a fatherly aura. I repeated the story I told Charlie to him and he seemed to accept it until he actually took a look at my wrist and received an x-ray.

"Well Bella, do you care to share the real story?" For the first time I actually caught a straight look into his eyes. They were a strong yellow colour that made my blood freeze.

"You're Dr. Cullen?" He nodded mutely, wondering where I was going with this. "Edward's adoptive father?" He once again nodded.

"Yes I am. Do you know him?" This simple question stung, as before today I probably would have answered yes but I was obviously proven wrong.

"I used to," I mumbled sadly, casting my glance downwards. He was confused by my answer but let it drop for now, seeing my reluctance to expand my response.

"So what actually happened to your wrist, Bella?" Without knowing, he had just picked up the topic he dropped.

"Why don't you ask that son of yours?" I glared openly at Dr. Cullen. I didn't mean to, but my anger automatically transferred from Edward to him.

"Edward? What does he have to do with this?" He seemed smooth but I could see the anxiousness seeping through.

"Don't worry. Can you just tell me what's wrong and what I need to do to look after it?" He looked reluctant but told me my wrist was slightly fractured and that I needed a weak cast for about 3 weeks. I groaned at the information but knew it was better than coming back again later when my wrist gets damaged again for not healing properly- I've dealt with that experience before.

He turned to leave and write a prescription of drugs to help me heal, but before he could I sighed deeply and asked sadly, "What happened to him?" He looked at me over his shoulder, contemplating something in his head.

"Bella, how do you know Edward?" His curiosity was tinged with concern.

"We were best friends when we were little. I was five when I met him and he was 8. He was so sweet and caring- I was devastated when his family left…" I trailed off as the memory still hurt, even after all these years.

"You knew him when he was little?" He sounded surprised.

"Yeah… why?"

"Well, Bella I shouldn't be telling you this but… I feel compelled to. You see, even though I'm Edward's adoptive father, I know very little to nothing of his past. I know what happened to his parents and where he was born. I also know who he is now and although he may be a little brutal at times, he is one of a kind." I looked at him strangely. I felt as if he was trying to tell me something. "Well, I'll go get that prescription for you. I think you have a visitor."

I was about to say something to him when a small figure walked in the door. I immediately recognised Alice and I suddenly felt like running away. I had a feeling that she was here for more than a friendly visit. She nodded towards Dr. Cullen as he left the room before looking to me.

"How are you Bella?" Her voice was angelic.

"I'm okay." My voice was dull. Stupid Cullens and all their perfection.

"I'd just like to apologise for my brother's behaviour. He has some issues with his temper and often overreacts. He didn't mean to hurt you."

"So he actually knew he hurt me and did nothing?"

"Well…"

My shoulders slumped even more. This little bit of information tore a new hole in my chest. There had been a big one there for a while- ever since Edward had left me. Then when he reappeared and rejected me, he opened another one right next to it. The more I learnt about him, the more it ripped a bit more.

"Will you tell me about him?" Alice stared at me for a while before sighing and shaking her head slightly in a 'no' gesture.

"I'm sorry, Bella. It is not my place." I nodded. I was never going to get anything from these people. Maybe I can go somewhere else.

"Bella…" Alice trailed off, leaving me hanging for her next words, "don't give up on him. You may not realise it yet, but you can change him. He will never be like you remember him, but you can make him better. Please, just… hang on." Carlisle chose that moment to re-enter the room, and Alice took her leave.

I huffed loudly. I knew I would now be awake all night again, contemplating her every word. _Was she right? _

_Author's Note: __Hi guys.____No, I haven't abandoned this story… definitely not. I love this story line way too much. I just have trouble getting onto the laptop. My brother is in the middle of his senior year, so he has the rights to it whenever he wants. Add my assignments and exams on top of this, and you get little time to update. But just so you know, I am trying very hard to get this out as much as possible. It is two weeks until I have holidays for 2 weeks so I will try and get a few chapters in then. Please stay with me, I will get there. _

_Review and you will get hot dreams of Edward!!! _

_Lauren xx_


	5. Truths & Promises

**Truths & Promises**

Just as I had predicted, I got no sleep that night- I was tossing and turning for hours. Eventually I just got up and sat on the wide window sill in my room.

As I watched the especially heavy rain pour outside with the occasional flash of lightening, my mind skimmed over every detail imaginable about my time today with Edward Cullen.

He scared me and until he had hurt my wrist, I'd been undeniably ignoring this. Jessica had warned me to stay away from them all. Now Alice is encouraging me to keep at Edward because he's worth it. It's obvious he doesn't want to be anywhere close to me but I can't help but be drawn to him. My instincts are constantly telling me to turn and run, but every other part of me is determined to prove those instincts wrong.

Then there is the fact that he has not only changed in his personality, but in his physical appearance. He skin is so much paler than I remember but impossibly smooth and cold. Flashes of Edward grabbing my wrist came to mind, and I suddenly felt chills. His fingertips had grasped my arm firmly, but the muscles in his forearms flexed more in restraint than in force. His hair has shaded into a glistening bronze that just dishevels everywhere and is just screaming to be touched. The most drastic change was his eyes but strangely enough, I find the dazzling orbs of amber suiting to the new Edward. The forest green from my memory is too kind and soft for whom he is now. The gold is a strong fire that's blazing in liquid- enticing, frightening and beautiful beyond belief. My breathing became hard just thinking about it.

Sometime around 6.30am my alarm clock went off. I didn't move from my spot as I heard Charlie reversing out the drive way for work. I wasn't going to school today- Charlie's orders, not Dr Cullen's- as he is convinced that I will just hurt myself further if I don't 'let it rest' for the day. _I'm not that clumsy, _I thought to myself angrily.

I didn't want to be home alone. All it did was give me more time to think and the one thing that I didn't want to do was _think_ because my every _thought_ was filled with Edward. It was infuriating and totally addictive.

I had just picked up my trusty, old book of _Wuthering Heights _when the phone rang. I rushed up from the couch to get it.

"Hello?" I couldn't think of anyone who would be calling right now.

"Hi, uh, is this Bella?" An older sounding man asked. His voice was husky and low but it oddly reminded me of Charlie's in his awkwardness.

"Yes. Who is this?"

"This Billy Black, um, we used to go fishing when you were younger?" He stated this as a question, asking if I remembered.

"Oh, yeah. I remember. You have little Jakey, right?" I heard him laugh heartily through the line.

"He hasn't been called that in years. The name doesn't really suit him anymore." I couldn't imagine Jake as anything but little. The last time I had seen him was a little over 2 years ago. Ever since I was little Charlie and I would come to Forks and visit Billy. They had been friends in the force back in Phoenix before I was born but Billy had to leave because of family issues.

"Hmm. Well, was there a reason you called?"

"Oh, yeah. I had tried Charlie at work but he didn't pick up. I was wondering if you and him would like to come down to first beach this weekend for a bonfire?"

"Um, sure. I'll have to ask Charlie and get him to call you, but I'm sure it'll be fun."

"Good, good. I'm sure Jake will be excited to see you again. Nice talking to you, Bella."

"Yeah, you too, Billy." I hung up the phone before returning to my book. _Well at least my mind was away from Edward Cullen for a few minutes. _ I sighed heavily.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*. *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

"You ready to go yet, Bells?" Charlie was calling me from the bottom of the stairs as I rushed round in my room to find my favourite hooded jacket. It was black with beautiful, green swirl patterns crawling up the arms and from the bottom hem. It was amazingly warm and the only jacket I had from Jacksonville. It clung to my curves sensually and cut off just below my waist but was very modest up top. I only had a white singlet underneath.

"Ha!" I exclaimed loudly. It was under my bed from where I'd thrown it half-heartedly when I first arrived. "Ow!" It must be physically impossible for me to get under a bed without hitting my head on the way out.

"What did you do now?" I grasped the back of my head as I walked down the stairs, hearing Charlie chuckle under his breath.

"How can you laugh at me hitting my head but not at me fracturing my wrist?" Charlie was still under the impression that I hurt it when I tripped. "You know one day that this might end up worse, because I'll have permanent brain damage. Let's see you laughing then!" This just made him crack up. I felt a smile creep onto my face as I watched him clutch his stomach. I realised at that moment just how much I missed times when he and Renee would joke around in front of me. Charlie would always laugh similarly to how he was now. Suddenly I was actually looking forward to the bonfire tonight.

"Okay, when you're done, we can go," I said as I put my jacket on and zipped it up. Charlie nodded and grabbed his keys before we walked to his cruiser. I cringed inwardly as I sat down in the front seat. I doubt I'll ever really get used to it.

The ride over to La Push was comfortable with soft rock music flowing around the cab. It wasn't my favourite genre of music but it was somehow soothing. As I first caught sight of the beach, I saw people mingling around starting flames as the sun was retreating over the water. It was a beautiful sight and I wish I had something to capture the image with.

I caught sight of some teenagers playing around by the water. They were throwing a stick around for a beautiful, dark furred dog that went whisking through the water to fetch it every time. Once Charlie and I had stepped out of the cab, we walked over to a man that was in a wheel chair on the cemented area, surrounded by little children while telling a story.

"They were all around me. Everywhere I turned, there was one there. I knew there was no escape, so I charged at them. I fought and fought, I thought I wouldn't make it, then suddenly… I was free and they were all down. It took everything I had, but I'd made it. Now _that _is how I lost the use of my legs. Unfortunately, I didn't make it out of the fight unscathed, but I'm still here." He held out his hands, as if he was some sort of miracle, when I heard Charlie burst out laughing for the second time that day.

"I haven't heard that version yet. Did I miss out on a good story, kids?" A few of the younger children cheered happily while others laughed. It was a warm and happy atmosphere. I don't think I had ever seen Charlie so comfortable.

I was about to sit down when I was suddenly knocked down by a big mass of fur. I let out a little yelp before laughing. I realised it was the dog from down the beach when I heard my name being called.

"Bella, is that you?" I looked up to see twinkling brown eyes. I immediately recognised them as Jake's, but when I looked at the rest of him, it just didn't match up. _Where is the awkward little boy? _

"Jake?!" The dog licked my face once before running off again. Once I got my footing, I looked to Jacob again. "Dear lord, where has my little Jakey gone?" I grabbed onto his face with my good hand, as if examining him and got a loud laugh out of it from him, Billy and Charlie. If anything, I had never been awkward around Jacob. Even though I had only seen him during my summer holidays, I still saw him as the brother I never had. I always felt comfortable.

"Slow down there, Bells. Don't disfigure the face, now." He pulled me into a tight, bone-crushing hug before dropping me back down again. I think I felt a rib break.

"I told you he wasn't little anymore." I turned to see Billy smiling at us.

"You weren't kidding. Look at this kid. What have you been feeding him?" My eyes trailed up and down Jake's form, all 6 ft something of him before landing on his eyes again.

"Nice to see you again, too." His smile was completely infectious before he noticed my damaged wrist. "What happened now?" He rolled his eyes and waited for an explanation.

"None of your business," I said childishly as I stomped my right foot.

"She tripped," Charlie tried to disguise in a cough.

"Yeah, thanks dad- really discreet. Some cop," I muttered under my breath.

"Aww Bells, haven't you made friends with the floor yet? I would've thought that after all those secret meetings you two constantly had that you'd at least have a truce." I glared at Jake before I turned on my heel and stomped as safely as I could down the beach.

"Stupid people trying to gang up on me. It's not my fault the floor has it out for me," I grumbled under my breath. As I was walking, I suddenly had the wind knocked out of me when I was swept up over Jacob's muscular shoulder. "Down boy, I don't want to know how to fly. I can do without thank you." Before I knew it, I was being plonked down on a big stump of uprooted bark.

"Sorry, but it was the safest option. You'd find a way to hurt yourself- the sand is the ground's best friend. It probably has it out for you as well." I laughed loudly.

"Thanks for the warning. I'll keep it in mind."

Jacob and I talked for hours. It was nice to catch up with him and I had missed his silliness. As I observed his new look, I couldn't help but notice some differences. His jaw was thinner from losing the baby fat and extremely chiselled. His hair was shaggy and jaggedly cut short around his head. It wasn't a bad look, just unusual on him. I was used to his hair being long and tied back in a ponytail at the back. His chest and shoulders were a lot broader and rounder. His hands were of an unimaginable size and blazing hot whenever I touched them, but he seemed oblivious to the temperature so I brushed it off.

I was a little surprised when he asked me if I was using a different perfume. "I don't use perfume, Jake. Why do you ask?"

"You just smell… don't worry." He gave me a timid smile before his brow creased.

He looked to my wrist again and wrinkled his nose slightly. He reached for my hand and I gave it to him freely. I gasped loudly when he ripped the cast clean off my wrist. It didn't hurt, I barely felt it- it was just a shock.

"Jake, what are you doing?" He shushed me lightly as he touched my damaged wrist hesitantly. I flinched instinctively and tried to recoil but he held fast. He didn't poke at it again, but simply held it between his palms. A deep frown etched itself across his face before he spoke.

"Bella, who hurt you?" My mouth dropped open and my arm fell limp as I sat stunned. I didn't deny that someone hurt me because it was obvious he wasn't messing around.

"How can you tell?" I could have sworn I heard a growl coming from him.

"Just answer the question, Bella." I took a deep breath.

"A friend accidently fractured it. No big deal, honestly." His eyes burned mine as he accused me with them. "Fine, his name was Edward Cullen but it truly was an accident." His eyes widened when I whispered the name and his hand became a little firmer around my wrist. "Ouch, Jake, quit it." He let it go before he got up and started pacing.

"Why a Cullen? Why on earth a Cullen?" His mutterings were freaking me out so I stood to stand in front of him.

"Jacob Black, stop!" He froze minutely before dumping himself on the ground helplessly. He had stopped pacing but his unintelligible mutterings were still going on. Then something clicked in my mind. "Jake, what do you know about the Cullens?"

His attention was quickly drawn back to me. "Why do you want to know?" I cautiously walked closer to him again and kneeled down in front of him. I was quick to think of an excuse.

I pretended to hesitate slightly before saying, "You see, I think he's a great friend and everything but sometimes I get a little scared of him and I don't know why. So I just ignore it because I don't have any substantial reasons to avoid him." I was hoping that it was easier to convince him in his panicked state. "I'm hoping that you can give me that reason." I looked pleadingly into his eyes as he looked back.

"Stay away from him, Bella."

"Yeah, I got that part. But why?" I was pushing and I knew it, but I had to get it out of him one way or another. This may be my only chance.

"Because he's a vamp-" He stopped abruptly and clutched his stomach, doubling over himself as if he was in pain. Then suddenly, his head flicked up and he looked at me through his eyelashes, his eyes red-rimmed and frightening. "Don't make me upset, Bella."

"I'm sorry. I'm not trying to," I managed to mutter out. _Vamp, what?! _"I just don't want to end up getting hurt again." I was pathetic in every sense of the word, but at that moment, I really didn't care.

"Damn it, Bella, he's a fucking vampire!" He went back to his position of crouching over himself and whispering incoherencies.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*. *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

"Are you okay, Bells?" Charlie glanced over at me curiously before returning his attention to the road.

My mind couldn't take anymore and quite frankly, I don't think my body could take many more sleepless nights. My head was fried with an overdose on information and I didn't know what to do. _Vampire. _That's what Jacob called Edward. I decided that for tonight, I would not dwell on it. I will think about everything tomorrow but until then, sleep is my first priority.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*. *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

I was on Google the next night, trying to ignore how stupid this all seemed. I had to be losing my mind to even consider Edward being a vampire, but I was going crazy not knowing what is wrong with him anyway.

_Okay, _I thought to myself, _here goes nothing. _

At first I just typed in vampire- believe me, what a mistake. It came up with a million different links, all leading to things about long fangs, cloaks and garlic. I was fairly certain none of that was true. Then I thought about Edward and all the ways I would describe him.

On my second attempt, I typed in _beautiful, pale, strong _and _flawless. _I chose those exact words to go with vampire because they characterise Edward perfectly. This time around, only a few meaningless websites came up until I came across something promising.

_They are the perfect predator- they are beautiful, they are strong, and they are fast. They are vampires. _

It then went on into detail about the smooth, hard skin and cool flesh. It describes the immensity of their beauty and strong appeal. It wrote about their abilities and enhancements compared to a weak human.

I found that the more I read, the more entranced I became. My eyes skimmed across the page, eager to know more about these creatures.

_Their skin glistens in sunlight- almost like diamonds._

I was so engrossed that I jumped when I heard a bang from my window and a faint growl. My feet seemed to be carrying me across the room before my mind could process the danger I could be in. By the time I got to my window, all traces that someone was there were gone. It wasn't long before I started to think it was a figment of my imagination.

I decided that I had read enough about vampires for tonight and fell into a deep sleep filled with beautiful people that shimmered in sunlight.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*. *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

It was Monday and Charlie finally decided my wrist was okay enough for me to return to school- I hadn't been there since the previous Monday. I had gotten my hand re-casted and told Charlie that it broke when I tripped again. _That man will believe anything._

I was excited to get out of the house again but undecided on how to act around Edward. I still hadn't made a decision on whether or not to take Alice's advice and not give up on him. My mind was in constant turmoil and I chose to just see how things happen.

The morning had been fine so far. When I first arrived at school and saw his car, I tensed up but after a personal pep-talk I got out of my truck and strode into the building with my shoulders straight and head high.

I had just gotten out of English late after discussing some work from my absence with my teacher. I was on my way to lunch when I ran into Mike. I really disliked him and found him to be really creepy. Just thinking about him gave me shivers, and not in a good way.

"Hello, Bella," he drawled out. I could see as well as feel the way his eyes roamed over my body and I suddenly felt dirty. I had always avoided being alone with him.

"Hello, Mike. Why aren't you at lunch already?" I couldn't help but notice the way he kept moving closer to me. It wasn't until he was invading my personal space that I decided it was enough and took a step back, only to find I had been cornered into the lockers. I looked around nervously to find we were completely alone.

"Hmmm, I was waiting for you." He moved forward one last time and was up against me. It was disgusting and I felt violated, but as I struggled, he just grabbed hold of my hips and leaned into my neck. "You always look so pretty for me- so very pretty." He sounded as if he was talking to himself, and I was almost certain he was on drugs.

"Mike, let me go." I tried to push him off me with both hands, seeing as I could use them again without it hurting my wrist too much, but he wouldn't have any of that, so he held them above my head while he started kissing my neck. Panic rose in me and I began to scream only to have one of his hands release mine to place it firmly over my mouth. It was a shame that it was my weak hand that was free, so I couldn't do much more than shove, which to my devastation, did absolutely nothing.

I bit his hand hard which only made him remove it but he didn't stop. Before I could stop myself, I said the one thing I never thought I would say again.

"Ti amo, sempre," I whispered.

_Flashback_

_I started to cry as the older boys kept teasing me about my new shoes. They were purple with pretty silver butterflies all over them. As soon as I saw them in the shop window that weekend, I had forced mummy to buy them for me. I had walked into school this morning so happy with them that I couldn't stop smiling. Then at lunch time as I was sitting waiting for my friends to come, some of the older year six boys came over and started to make fun of them. _

"_Yuck, look at those!" The tears ran down my face as I started hiccupping trying to get my breathing right._

"_Bella!" I looked up at the sound of my name and smiled when I saw Edward running towards me. He bent down to my level to check I was alright before walking towards the boys and yelling at them. Eventually they just left and he returned to my side and hugged me tightly. "Are you okay?" _

_I nodded glumly as I wiped my cheeks of the salt water. "They made fun of my shoes." I was surprised to hear him laugh lightly under his breath before he shook his head. _

"_You know what, Bella? They were probably just jealous."I giggled at his remark and he smirked happily at my joy. "Bella, I want you to have a safe word." I looked at him curiously, waiting for him to explain more. "A safe word is something that you will say when you're upset, or you want to get away from someone. If I ever hear you say it, I will come and help you. Get it?" _

"_Okay," I agreed simply. "What word?"_

_He shrugged slightly. "Whatever you want it to be." I tried to think but nothing really came to me. "How about when you think of something, you let me know?" I smiled in acceptance and told him I would. _

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*. *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

"_I've got it!" I exclaimed. Edward jumped from beside me as he clutched his chest. _

"_Got what, Bella?" He let out a breath to calm himself. _

"_The safe word! Well actually it's more than one word, but I really like it!" I was bouncing up and down in my exuberance. I loved it because it sounded really pretty and no one would ever guess it. _

"_Well?" He looked at me expectantly. _

"_Ti amo, sempre," I mimicked from the TV. We were sitting on the couch watching an old movie that Edward's mother, Jacqueline, loved. Some of the parts were in Italian, and I didn't understand what was going on at all, but I was so glad that I said I would watch it. _

"_As in what that guy just said?" Edward pointed at the screen and I nodded. _

"_Yeah, but do you know what it means?" He told me he didn't before he nudged his mother softly, who had fallen asleep from working hard all day. _

"_What?" She sat up straight as she startled awake. _

"_Mum, what does 'ti amo, sempre' mean?" She sighed and sagged back into the couch as she settled down again. _

"_It means, 'I love you, always'. Why honey?" _

"_Just heard it on the movie, that's all," Edward replied. Ever since that day, we had both used the safe words countless times to get out of bad situations. _

_End of Flashback_

"Ti amo, sempre," I said again, except this time a little louder. Then in my mind I repeated _sempre, sempre, sempre, sempre _as I thought of the lost little boy.

I didn't even notice someone else was there until I heard a low voice speak. "Get off of her." I felt Mike's grasp slip as he was ripped off me and literally slammed into the lockers on the other side of the hallway. My eyes snapped open to see Edward in between us and his hand still hanging in the air to the side from throwing Mike. "Get away, now!" His voice boomed and echoed as the boy scampered off.

In two seconds flat, I felt a new body pushed against me and my eyes connected with Edward's as he placed his hands on either side of my head against the cool metal. "Damn you, Bella." His eyes dropped from mine as he looked defeated. "You know I would never desert you. No matter who I am now, I would never let someone hurt you. I promise." I heard a familiar growl from deep in his throat before his right fist punched the locker and he stalked away.

I knew at that moment that my decision was made. _I will never give up on you, Edward Cullen. _

_Author's Note:__ I suck at updating, I know. But hopefully you all love me enough to review anyway. Plus, I gave you some Edward loving!!! He is finally showing himself! You got to give me a little something. :P and this chapter is a lot longer than normal. Pretty please review. Lauren xx _


	6. Dear God

**Disclaimer- I own twilight. I also own a ten foot high pony, I am queen of the world and my right-handed pinkie is green. Now how many of you believed me, hmm? For those of you confused… I don't actually own twilight. *Runs away and cries "They lied to me!"***

_**Chapter 5- Dear God**_

I turned my head to the left and gasped loudly at what I saw. There was a large dent in the metal locker right where Edward had hit it. I traced lightly around its shape, almost in awe of what I was seeing. The dent was engraved in a horizontal oval shape, and quite deep. The edges were jagged and sharp and smooth in the middle where his fingers would have been placed. _Impossible._

'_They are beautiful, they are strong, and they are fast. They are vampires_.' That's what the website had said. Well two out of three are down pact. He's obviously strong and his beauty isn't even worth questioning.

It's quite scary to find that I no longer doubt that Edward being a vampire is possible. It has now turned into a rather real possibility. I am also entirely sure now that the Edward Cullen that just saved me is also my Edward Mason. _Well, maybe not him exactly. _ I have come to accept the fact that though they are based from the same person, they are also completely different- but that isn't going to stop me. All I need to do now is prove that I am not going mental.

I slowly pushed off the locker that I had been leaning against and wobbled a bit from the built up adrenaline that remained unused. I steadied my walk and headed towards the cafeteria, now uncertain as to where I am to sit. There is no way I will ever stand within 3 metres of Mike Newton ever again and although I am now more confident in Edward, that option seemed just plain silly at this point in time.

As I made my way through the line and bought my lunch, I spotted an unoccupied table and decided that I would prefer to sit by myself than near anyone as vile as the 'man who may no longer be named'. _I think I'll just call him Voldermort. _I snickered silently to myself and took my seat.

I could almost feel my body fold in on itself as I noticed that my seat had a perfect view of Edward and that the death glare had made its return to his beautiful features. I had a sudden boldness that told me to ignore it, and pretend like it didn't affect me at all- but anyone with half a brain would know it truly did. I also couldn't help looking up at him occasionally, and at one point I could have sworn I saw Alice give me a sympathetic glance.

As I exited my last class for the day- the dreaded torture class known as gym- I once again headed towards my bus. Today I came prepared, IPod in hand and head held high as I prepped myself for facing him, although I wasn't actually planning on confronting him at the moment. It was just the thought of seeing him though that sent shivers down my spine. During the entire period of Biology, Edward had done nothing but clench and unclench his fists on top of the table, his jaw doing similar flexes.

On my way, it had started raining again for the third time today. It was particularly heavy this time round and I tried to hold my jacket over my head slightly, while still holding my bag and IPod in my hands. It wasn't working particularly well so I kept a rushed pace until I reached the yellow doors signifying safety- well it would have for anyone other than me.

Of course, as soon as I placed my foot on the second step, I felt it slip under my weight. I was falling backwards, my head obviously going to take the brunt of the fall if it kept going. I scrunched my eyes in preparation while my arms flew around me trying to find purchase onto something but nothing came for what seemed like forever, until I felt the cold hardness of the cement impacting my shoulder blades… and down my back, and grasping onto my arms. Suddenly the ground was literally moving under me when I realised that someone had actually caught me. I looked up and found solace in blazing eyes. _Oh god. _

I heard him make a somewhat gruff sound, but it just sounded captivating with his velvety tone before he righted me again. "Watch it. Wouldn't want you getting hurt now, do we?" I started nodding slowly before I realised I should be shaking my head and did so wildly as soon as I realised, but caused myself to feel dizzy. My hand rose to my head drunkenly as if that would help and muttered a quick 'thank you' before scampering on the bus as swift as possible for the handicapped. I sat down in the middle of the bus, sighing when my body touched the seat.

Edward strode onto the bus, as _almighty _as ever. He once again took a seat at the back, isolating himself from everyone and effectively making sure no one approached him by glaring at anyone who even tilted in his direction. With a deep sigh, I place my IPod ear buds in place and let music take me away.

The next morning, I woke up to frosted windows and freezing toes. I was quite literally curled in on myself, clutching to my blankets as if they were the air I breathed. As I refused to be removed from my safe haven, I steadily moved myself from my lying position to standing, all the while making sure I was wrapped up as cosy and possible. As I looked through my wardrobe, I cringed when I noticed that I still didn't have warm enough clothes for this weather. I had a few comfy jackets but they were purely that- comfy. They had limited warmth that would normally do fine but today… not so much.

When I exited the house, I took one glance at the ground at stopped. _Dear God, I know I don't talk to you very much, but I am asking a favour of you now. Please don't let me die today! _So with my head raised to the sky, I prayed silently that the thin layer of ice plaguing the ground will not cause me to kill myself.

I waited for the bus outside my house, bent over slightly at the waist and arms still wrapped around each other. I was actually looking forward to the big yellow thing that took me to school with my fingers crossed that it would take the crippling bite out of the air for a while. Joy filled me when I took notice of it approaching and when I took my seat, I felt heavenly- even with the prickling on the back of my neck from a certain 'someone's' eyes glaring at me… well maybe not _heavenly. _To help ignore the feeling, I once again took comfort in my IPod.

Once back out in the frosty air, I couldn't be bothered to remove my music from my ears- it was a good song that was playing. I was gaining ground to the school, nearly to safety when I got a feeling. It wasn't that tingly sensation that I received from Edward, but more of a shrill nerve reacting, almost a forewarning. That was when I heard the screech- the piercing noise of tires trying to halt a fast moving vehicle.

From that moment, everything seemed to move slowly. I whirled around in search of the noise, but my eyes locked onto something else instead. It was Edward. He was still standing over by the bus, across the parking lot of other students' cars. It was a magnificent sight. His dark blue jeans were hung low on his hips, a tight black T-shirt clinging to his muscles and a black leather jacket halfway on as he paused with it still placed around his elbows. This seemed odd, as he was also looking directly at me, with a horrified expression marring his face. I was confused as to why until I saw the van block my view of him, only metres away.

With the natural instinct of self-preservation, I turned around and crouched over by the car I was beside, wrapping my arms around my knees. Instantly, I also felt someone else's arms wrap securely around me. Simultaneously, I completely forgot about the incoming vehicle and concentrated on the feeling they created. They formed a sense of safety and security, warmth which contradicted the cold they were emanating and intense feelings that were bubbling and rising, but I couldn't recognise what they were.

I felt and heard the bang that came at sudden impact, suddenly scared for my protector. The slam had passed through them and into me, shuddering my body and causing my head to jar forward, slamming into the car placed in front of me. I was instantly woozy, but I still heard the loud gasp from a mouth placed next to my ear and someone whisper my name. The voice was heavenly, all honey and smooth, calling to me. The voice kept talking to me, saying things through an invisible wall until the mumble finally started to form words.

"Bella, please talk to me," it said in concern, "come on, baby. You're worrying me. Look at me," it ordered- and so I did. _Wow. _His eyes were golden flames, his lips still creating words that became irrelevant as his beauty called to me.

"Edward." His name escaped my mouth before it registered in my mind, a blush still able to creep up into my cheeks- even in a barely coherent state.

"Yes, Bella, keep talking- say more." I was about to, when screams suddenly reached my ears, my eyes scanning my surrounding area for their creators, but I couldn't see anything past the crunched metal. I was encased in a circle of dark blue van and bright red BMW. _Holy shit! _

_**Note: Thanks for all the reviews. I'm seriously amazed and check out my poll. I really don't know what to do, so it's completely up to you guys. Review. **_


End file.
